JP7409264B2 - Transport systems, transport methods, and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a transportation system, a transportation method, and a program, and particularly relates to transportation by an autonomous mobile robot.

In recent years, technology has been developed for transporting objects using autonomous mobile robots in factories, warehouses, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a shelf arrangement system that automatically aligns and arranges shelves using a transport robot in a distribution warehouse. In this system, a transport robot enters the space beneath the shelf, picks up the shelf from below, and moves along with the shelf.

International Publication No. 2017/090108

In the system described in Patent Document 1, a uniform shelf is the object of transportation. Therefore, the support position for lifting the shelf is constant. However, when various objects are to be transported, such as furniture in a house, various center of gravity positions are assumed for each object. This makes it difficult to select an appropriate support position when lifting such an object.

The present disclosure has been made against the background of the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides a transportation system, transportation method, and program that can select an appropriate support position when supporting and lifting an object with an autonomous mobile robot. The purpose is to

One aspect of the present disclosure for achieving the above object is a transportation system that supports and transports a target object using an autonomous mobile robot, the reference object positioning unit identifying the position of a reference object attached to the target object. and an operation control unit that determines a support position of the object based on the specified position of the reference object.
According to this transportation system, the support position of the object is determined based on the position of the reference object attached to the object. Therefore, when the autonomous mobile robot supports and lifts the object, an appropriate support position can be selected.

In one aspect of the above, the reference object is attached in advance to a predetermined position on the object, the predetermined position is a predetermined position to be supported, and the operation control unit The position of the object may be the supporting position of the object.
By doing so, the position of the reference object can be set as the support position of the target object, and the support position can be easily specified.

In one aspect of the above, the reference object stores information indicating a relative position of a predetermined position of the object from a position of the reference object, and the predetermined position is a position to be supported that is specified in advance. The transportation system further includes a readout section that reads out information indicating the relative position stored in the reference object, and the operation control section is configured to read out information indicating the relative position stored in the reference object, and the operation control section is configured to read out information indicating the relative position stored in the reference object. The predetermined position may be specified as the support position of the object.
By doing so, the support position is determined based on the position of the reference object and the relative position obtained from the information stored in the reference object. Therefore, when the autonomous mobile robot supports and lifts the object, it is possible not only to select an appropriate support position, but also to attach the reference object to an arbitrary position.

In one aspect of the above, the reference object stores motion-related information that is information used to control the movement motion or support motion of the autonomous mobile robot, and the transportation system further stores the motion-related information stored in the reference object. The robot may further include a reading section that reads out the motion-related information, and the motion control section may use the motion-related information to control the movement motion or support motion of the autonomous mobile robot.
By doing so, the autonomous mobile robot can easily realize motions based on motion-related information.

In one aspect of the above, the reference object stores information indicating the performance of the autonomous mobile robot required to transport the object, and the transportation system further stores the performance information stored in the reference object. The vehicle may include a reading unit that reads out information indicating the performance, and a determination unit that determines whether or not the target object is to be transported based on the information indicating the performance.
According to such a configuration, since information indicating the performance of the autonomous mobile robot required to transport the object is stored in the reference object, it is possible to determine whether support is possible. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent an autonomous mobile robot having insufficient performance to support the object from supporting the object.

In the above aspect, the apparatus may further include a notification unit that sends a notification requesting an autonomous mobile robot having performance specified from the information indicating the performance to transport the object.
According to such a configuration, a notification requesting an autonomous mobile robot having the required performance to transport the object is issued. Thereby, transportation can be realized by an appropriate autonomous mobile robot.

In one aspect of the above, the operation control unit further determines the angle between the direction required for the object at the transportation destination point and the traveling direction of the autonomous mobile robot at the time of final progress to the transportation destination point, and the transportation The orientation of the autonomous mobile robot at the start of support may be adjusted so that the direction of the object at the start and the forward or backward direction of the autonomous mobile robot at the start of transportation are at the same angle.
By doing so, it is possible to avoid adjusting the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot with respect to the object during transportation so that the orientation of the object is appropriate at the transportation destination point. Therefore, the efficiency of transportation is improved.

In the above aspect, the operation control unit further determines the angle between the direction required for the object to pass through the gap on the transportation route and the direction in which the autonomous mobile robot moves when passing through the gap. , the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot at the start of support may be adjusted so that the direction of the object at the time of the start of transportation is the same as the forward or backward direction of the autonomous mobile robot at the start of transport. .
By doing so, it is possible to avoid adjusting the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot with respect to the object during transportation in order to pass through the gap. Therefore, the efficiency of transportation is improved.

In one aspect of the above, the reference object stores information indicating the position of the predetermined portion of the object, and the conveyance system further indicates the position of the predetermined portion stored in the reference object. The device may include a reading unit that reads information, and the operation control unit may specify the direction of the object based on information indicating the position of the predetermined portion.
By doing so, the direction of the object can be easily specified.

In the above aspect, when the other autonomous mobile robot is scheduled to move, the operation control unit supports the predetermined object before the other autonomous mobile robot starts moving, and The object may be controlled to be removed from the movement range of the autonomous mobile robot.
By doing this, the object is moved out of the movement range before the other autonomous mobile robots start moving. Therefore, it is possible to prevent other autonomous mobile robots from being inhibited from performing their work due to the presence of the object.

In one aspect of the above, the autonomous mobile robot may include a support section that includes an interlocking part that interlocks with a target object, and the operation control section may control the support section to support the target object. good.
By doing so, the stability of support can be improved.

In one aspect of the above, the object may be a part that constitutes one piece of furniture when combined with the support section.
In this way, the autonomous mobile robot can also be used as furniture.

In one aspect of the above, the support section may be electrically connected to the object.
By doing so, various functions using electrical connections can be realized.

Another aspect of the present disclosure for achieving the above object is a transportation method for supporting and transporting a target object by an autonomous mobile robot, the method identifying the position of a reference object attached to the target object, and identifying the position of a reference object attached to the target object. In this method, the supporting position of the object is determined based on the position of the reference object.
According to this transportation method, the support position of the object is determined based on the position of the reference object attached to the object. Therefore, when the autonomous mobile robot supports and lifts the object, an appropriate support position can be selected.

Another aspect of the present disclosure for achieving the above object is to have a computer in a transportation system that supports and transports an object by an autonomous mobile robot specify a reference object position that specifies the position of a reference object attached to an object. The program executes a specifying step and an operation control step of determining a supporting position of the object based on the specified position of the reference object.
According to this program, the support position of the object is determined based on the position of the reference object attached to the object. Therefore, when the autonomous mobile robot supports and lifts the object, an appropriate support position can be selected.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a transportation system, a transportation method, and a program that can select an appropriate support position when supporting and lifting an object with an autonomous mobile robot.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an autonomous mobile robot according to an embodiment. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an autonomous mobile robot according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic system configuration of an autonomous mobile robot according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating support of an object by an autonomous mobile robot. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing markers attached to an object. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device for an autonomous mobile robot according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow regarding a transportation operation of an autonomous mobile robot in Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device for an autonomous mobile robot according to a second embodiment. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow regarding a transport operation of an autonomous mobile robot in Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device for an autonomous mobile robot according to a third embodiment. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process flow regarding a transportation operation of an autonomous mobile robot in Embodiment 3. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device for an autonomous mobile robot according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of an environment in which transportation is performed. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot with respect to the object, which is adjusted at the start of transportation when transportation as shown in FIG. 13 is performed. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of an environment in which transportation is performed. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot with respect to the object, which is adjusted at the start of transportation when transportation as shown in FIG. 15 is performed. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of an environment in which transportation is performed. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow regarding a transportation operation of an autonomous mobile robot in Embodiment 4. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transportation system according to Embodiment 5. FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device for an autonomous mobile robot according to a fifth embodiment. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process flow regarding a transportation operation of an autonomous mobile robot in Embodiment 5.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an autonomous mobile robot 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic system configuration of the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to this embodiment.

The autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the present embodiment is a robot that autonomously moves within a mobile environment such as a house, facility, warehouse, or factory, and is a transportation system in which the autonomous mobile robot 10 supports and transports objects. May belong to The autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the present embodiment includes a movable moving part 110, an extendable part 120 that extends and contracts in the vertical direction, a support part 130 for supporting an object, and control of the moving part 110 and the extendable part 120. The robot includes a control device 100 that controls the autonomous mobile robot 10, a sensor 140, and a wireless communication unit 150.

The moving unit 110 includes a robot body 111, a pair of left and right drive wheels 112 and a pair of front and rear driven wheels 113, which are rotatably provided on the robot body 111, and a pair of motors 114 that rotationally drive each drive wheel 112. are doing. Each motor 114 rotates each drive wheel 112 via a reduction gear or the like. Each motor 114 rotates each drive wheel 112 in response to a control signal from the control device 100, thereby enabling forward movement, backward movement, and rotation of the robot body 111. Thereby, the robot main body 111 can be moved to any position. Note that the configuration of the moving unit 110 described above is an example, and is not limited to this. For example, the number of drive wheels 112 and driven wheels 113 of the moving unit 110 may be arbitrary, and any configuration can be applied as long as the robot main body 111 can be moved to an arbitrary position.

The extensible portion 120 is an extensible mechanism that expands and contracts in the vertical direction. The expansion/contraction section 120 may be configured as a telescopic expansion/contraction mechanism. A support section 130 is provided at the upper end of the stretchable section 120, and the support section 130 is raised or lowered by the operation of the stretchable section 120. The extensible portion 120 includes a drive device 121 such as a motor, and expands and contracts by being driven by the drive device 121. That is, the support part 130 is raised or lowered by driving the drive device 121. The drive device 121 is driven according to a control signal from the control device 100. Note that in the autonomous mobile robot 10, any known mechanism for controlling the height of the support section 130 provided on the upper side of the robot body 111 may be used instead of the extendable section 120.

The support part 130 is provided at the upper part (tip) of the extensible part 120. The support part 130 is moved up and down by a drive device 121 such as a motor, and in this embodiment, the support part 130 is used to support and lift an object to be transported. The support portion 130 is made of, for example, a plate material. In this embodiment, the shape of this plate material, that is, the shape of the support portion 130 is, for example, a disk shape with a flat upper surface, but it may be any other shape. The autonomous mobile robot 10 supports and lifts the object using the support section 130. Thereby, the autonomous mobile robot 10 can transport the object. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the autonomous mobile robot 10 enters into the space of an object 90 that has a space below, and lifts the object 90 from below using the support section 130. Then, the autonomous mobile robot 10 moves together with the object 90 while supporting the object 90 with the support section 130. Thereby, the autonomous mobile robot 10 transports the object 90. Note that the object 90 is, for example, furniture such as a chest of drawers, a chair, a table, or a shelf, but is not limited to these and may be any other object.

The sensor 140 is installed at an arbitrary position on the autonomous mobile robot 10, and is a sensor that detects the marker 91 attached to the object 90 (see FIG. 5). For example, sensor 140 may be a camera. Note that if the marker 91 is made of a material that absorbs or reflects infrared rays (for example, ink), an infrared camera may be used as the sensor 140 so that the marker can be detected. The output of sensor 140 is input to control device 100.

In this embodiment, the marker 91 is attached to a predetermined position on the object 90 in advance. Here, the predetermined position is a position to be supported that is specified in advance. The predetermined position is, for example, a position where the balance of the object 90 is maintained when the object 90 is lifted by the support section 130 of the autonomous mobile robot 10. Specifically, for example, the predetermined position is a position directly below the center of gravity of the object 90. Therefore, in this embodiment, the marker 91 is placed, for example, on the lower surface of the object 90 at a position directly below the center of gravity. For example, when the object 90 is an article to be sold, the object 90 to which the marker 91 is attached in advance may be sold. Further, the user of the object 90 may attach the marker 91 to a predetermined position. In this embodiment, the marker 91 only needs to have a predetermined mark that can be detected by the sensor 140. For example, the marker 91 may be a sticker on which a predetermined characteristic mark is printed. Further, the marker 91 may be a barcode or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark). Further, the marker 91 may be an invisible marker so as not to impair the design of the object 90. For example, the marker 91 may be an invisible marker printed with a material that absorbs or reflects infrared rays.

The wireless communication unit 150 is a circuit that performs wireless communication in order to communicate with a server or other robot, and includes, for example, a wireless transmission/reception circuit and an antenna. Note that if the autonomous mobile robot 10 does not communicate with other devices, the wireless communication unit 150 may be omitted.

The control device 100 is a device that controls the autonomous mobile robot 10 and includes a processor 101, a memory 102, and an interface 103. Processor 101, memory 102, and interface 103 are interconnected via a data bus or the like.

The interface 103 is an input/output circuit used to communicate with other devices such as the moving unit 110, the extendable unit 120, the sensor 140, and the wireless communication unit 150.

The memory 102 is configured, for example, by a combination of volatile memory and nonvolatile memory. The memory 102 is used to store software (computer programs) including one or more instructions executed by the processor 101, data used for various processes of the autonomous mobile robot 10, and the like.

The processor 101 reads software (computer program) from the memory 102 and executes it to process each component shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later. Specifically, the processor 101 performs processing by a marker position specifying section 160 and an operation control section 161.

The processor 101 may be, for example, a microprocessor, an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), or a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Processor 101 may include multiple processors.
In this way, the control device 100 is a device that functions as a computer.

Note that the above-mentioned programs can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory) CD-Rs, CDs. - R/W, semiconductor memory (eg, mask ROM, PROM (Programmable ROM), EPROM (Erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (Random Access Memory)). The program may also be provided to the computer on various types of transitory computer readable media. Examples of transitory computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The temporary computer-readable medium can provide the program to the computer via wired communication channels, such as electrical wires and fiber optics, or wireless communication channels.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 100 of the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 100 includes a marker position specifying section 160 and an operation control section 161.

The marker position specifying unit 160 specifies the position of the marker 91 attached to the object 90. The marker position specifying unit 160 analyzes the output data from the sensor 140, detects the marker 91, and thereby specifies the position of the marker 91. For example, the marker position specifying unit 160 detects the marker 91 and specifies its position by performing image recognition processing on the image data output from the sensor 140.

The motion control unit 161 controls the movement motion and support motion of the autonomous mobile robot 10. That is, the operation control section 161 controls the moving section 110 and the expansion/contraction section 120. The operation control unit 161 can control the rotation of each drive wheel 112 by transmitting a control signal to each motor 114 of the moving unit 110, and can move the robot body 111 to an arbitrary position. Further, the operation control section 161 can control the height of the support section 130 by transmitting a control signal to the drive device 121 of the extensible section 120.

The operation control unit 161 controls the autonomous mobile robot 10 by performing well-known controls such as feedback control and robust control based on rotation information of the drive wheel 112 detected by a rotation sensor provided on the drive wheel 112. Movement may be controlled. Further, the operation control unit 161 controls the movement unit 110 based on information such as distance information detected by a distance sensor such as a camera or an ultrasonic sensor provided on the autonomous mobile robot 10 and map information of the movement environment. In this way, the autonomous mobile robot 10 may be moved autonomously. Note that the sensor 140 for detecting the marker 91 may be used for sensing the moving environment when the autonomous mobile robot 10 moves.

Further, the operation control unit 161 determines the support position of the object 90 based on the position of the marker 91 specified by the marker position specifying unit 160. In this embodiment, the motion control unit 161 sets the position of the marker 91 as the supporting position of the target object 90. Thereby, for example, the motion control unit 161 determines the position directly below the center of gravity of the object 90 as the support position.

After determining the support position, the operation control unit 161 controls the support unit 130 to support the object 90. That is, upon determining the support position, the operation control unit 161 moves the autonomous mobile robot 10 so that the support unit 130 supports the object 90 at the support position. Specifically, the operation control unit 161 moves the autonomous mobile robot 10 so that the center portion of the support unit 130 is located directly below the marker 91, for example. Then, the operation control section 161 raises the support section 130. As a result, the support section 130 supports and lifts the object 90 at the determined support position. After that, the operation control unit 161 moves together with the object 90 to a pre-designated destination. Finally, the operation control unit 161 lowers the support unit 130 and lowers the object 90 onto the floor at the designated destination (transportation destination point). This completes the transportation. Note that the autonomous mobile robot 10 does not need to move during transportation by the autonomous mobile robot 10. For example, if the object 90 (e.g. a chair) can be connected to another object (e.g. a table) present above the object 90, i.e. if the object 90 can be suspended from this object, The transportation may be completed only by raising and lowering the support part 130.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of processing regarding the transportation operation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 in this embodiment. The flow of processing will be described below with reference to flowcharts.

In step S100, the marker position specifying unit 160 specifies the position of the marker 91 attached to the object 90 based on the data from the sensor 140.

Next, in step S101, the motion control unit 161 determines the support position of the target object 90 based on the position of the marker specified in step S100. In this embodiment, the motion control unit 161 sets the position of the marker 91 as the supporting position of the target object 90.

Next, in step S102, the motion control unit 161 controls the movement of the autonomous mobile robot 10 and the height of the support unit 130 so as to support the object 90 at the support position determined in step S101. The operation control unit 161 then controls the object 90 to be transported to the specified destination.

The first embodiment has been described above. In this embodiment, the support position of the object 90 is determined based on the position of the marker 91 attached to the object. Therefore, when the autonomous mobile robot 10 supports and lifts the object, an appropriate support position can be selected. That is, it becomes possible to support the object 90 while maintaining the balance of the object 90. In particular, in this embodiment, the position of marker 91 is the support position of object 90. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily specify the support position.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the marker 91 is attached in advance to a position on the surface of the object 90 to be supported. In contrast, in this embodiment, the marker 91 is attached in advance to an arbitrary position on the surface of the object 90. The marker 91 used in this embodiment stores information indicating the relative position of a predetermined position of the object 90 from the position of the marker 91. Here, the predetermined position is a position to be supported, which is specified in advance, as in the first embodiment. That is, the predetermined position is, for example, a position directly below the center of gravity of the object 90. Specifically, the relative position mentioned above may be, for example, the coordinate value of the predetermined position with reference to the position where the marker 91 is attached. Note that the information indicating the relative position stored by the marker 91 may be relative position information (the relative position itself) or information on where the relative position information is obtained (for example, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator)). good.

The marker 91 may be any medium that can store information; for example, it may be a bar code, a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark), or an RF (Radio Frequency ) tag may be used. Note that in this embodiment as well, the marker 91 may be an invisible marker so as not to impair the design of the object 90.

The autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the second embodiment differs from the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a control device 100a instead of the control device 100. The hardware configuration of the control device 100a is similar to that of the control device 100, but the functional configuration is different. Note that the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment in other configurations. Therefore, in the following, explanations that overlap with those already described will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 100a of the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the control device 100a includes a marker position specifying section 160, a reading section 162, and an operation control section 161a. The marker position specifying unit 160 shown in FIG. 8 is the same as the marker position specifying unit 160 described in the first embodiment. The processing of the components shown in FIG. 8 is realized, for example, by the processor 101 reading software (computer program) from the memory 102 and executing it.

The reading unit 162 performs a process of reading information indicating the relative position stored in the marker 91. For example, when the marker 91 is a bar code or a two-dimensional code, the reading unit 162 reads out information indicating the relative position by performing image recognition processing on the image data output from the sensor 140. Further, for example, when the marker 91 is an RF tag, the reading unit 162 reads information indicating the relative position by performing wireless communication processing with the RF tag via the wireless communication unit 150.

The motion control section 161a is the same as the motion control section 161 described in Embodiment 1, except that the method for determining the support position is different. The motion control unit 161a of this embodiment determines the support position as follows. The operation control unit 161a specifies the above-mentioned predetermined position of the target object 90 based on the information indicating the relative position read out by the reading unit 162. Then, the operation control unit 161a sets the specified predetermined position as the support position of the object 90. Note that when the information indicating the relative position is relative position information acquisition source information (for example, URL), the operation control unit 161a accesses the acquisition source specified by the acquisition source information and acquires the relative position. Then, specify the above-mentioned predetermined position.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of processing regarding the transportation operation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 in the second embodiment. The flow of processing will be described below with reference to flowcharts.

In step S200, the marker position specifying unit 160 specifies the position of the marker 91 attached to the object 90 based on the data from the sensor 140.

Next, in step S201, the reading unit 162 reads out information indicating the relative position stored in the marker 91. Thereby, the operation control unit 161a obtains the relative position of the predetermined position of the target object 90 from the position of the marker 91.

Next, in step S202, the motion control unit 161a sets the position specified by the relative position acquired in step S201 as the support position of the object 90.

Next, in step S203, the motion control unit 161a controls the movement of the autonomous mobile robot 10 and the height of the support unit 130 so as to support the object 90 at the support position determined in step S202. The operation control unit 161a then controls the object 90 to be transported to the specified destination.

The second embodiment has been described above. In this embodiment, the support position is determined based on the position of the marker 91 and the relative position obtained from the information stored in the marker 91. Therefore, when supporting and lifting an object with the autonomous mobile robot 10, not only can an appropriate support position be selected, but also the marker 91 can be attached to an arbitrary position. Therefore, for example, it is possible to attach the marker 91 to a position that is easy for the autonomous mobile robot 10 to detect.

<Embodiment 3>
Next, Embodiment 3 will be described. This embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that the marker 91 stores information indicating the performance of the autonomous mobile robot 10 required to transport the object 90. Note that the information indicating the performance stored in the marker 91 may be performance information (performance itself), or may be performance information acquisition source information (for example, URL). The required performance may be, for example, the supporting force of the support portion 130 necessary for support. This is because, in order to support the object 90, a supporting force capable of supporting a weight greater than the weight of the object 90 is required. Note that a reference value (for example, the weight of the object 90) that the maximum weight that the autonomous mobile robot 10 can support may be used as the required supporting force. Further, the required performance may be, for example, the size of the autonomous mobile robot 10. This is because in order to support the object 90, it is required to enter the space below the object 90.

In this embodiment as well, the marker 91 may be any medium that can store information; for example, it may be a bar code, a two-dimensional code, or an RF tag. good. Further, the marker 91 may be an invisible marker so as not to impair the design of the object 90.

The autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the third embodiment differs from the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the second embodiment in that it includes a control device 100b instead of the control device 100a. The hardware configuration of the control device 100b is similar to that of the control device 100a, but the functional configuration is different. Note that the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the third embodiment is the same as the second embodiment with respect to other configurations. Therefore, in the following, explanations that overlap with those already described will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 100b of the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 100b includes a marker position specifying section 160, a reading section 162b, a determining section 163, an operation control section 161b, and a notification section 164. The marker position specifying unit 160 shown in FIG. 10 is the same as the marker position specifying unit 160 described in the first embodiment. The processing of the components shown in FIG. 10 is realized, for example, by the processor 101 reading software (computer program) from the memory 102 and executing it.

The reading unit 162b performs a process of reading information stored in the marker 91. In particular, the reading unit 162b performs a process of reading information stored in the marker 91 that indicates the performance of the autonomous mobile robot 10 required to transport the object 90. For example, when the marker 91 is a bar code or a two-dimensional code, the reading unit 162b reads out information indicating performance by performing image recognition processing on the image data output from the sensor 140. Further, for example, when the marker 91 is an RF tag, the reading unit 162b reads information indicating performance by performing wireless communication processing with the RF tag via the wireless communication unit 150.

The determining unit 163 determines whether or not to transport the target object 90 based on information indicating the performance of the autonomous mobile robot 10 required to transport the target object 90 . For example, the determination unit 163 compares the actual performance of the autonomous mobile robot 10 specified from performance information stored in advance in the memory 102 or the like with the required performance, and determines whether the actual performance is greater than or equal to the required performance. If so, it is determined that the object 90 can be transported. That is, the determination unit 163 determines to transport the target object 90. On the other hand, if the actual performance is less than the required performance, the determination unit 163 determines that the object 90 cannot be transported. That is, the determination unit 163 determines not to transport the target object 90.

The notification unit 164 issues a notification requesting an autonomous mobile robot having the performance specified from the information indicating the required performance to transport the object 90. The notification unit 164 makes this notification via the wireless communication unit 150. When the determining unit 163 determines that the autonomous mobile robot 10 will not transport the object 90, the notification unit 164 notifies other autonomous mobile robots to request transport of the object 90. Note that at this time, the notification unit 164 refers to performance information of other autonomous mobile robots stored in advance in the memory 102 or the like, for example, and identifies other autonomous mobile robots that have the required performance.

The operation control unit 161b differs from the second embodiment in that the operation control unit 161b performs transportation control according to the determination result by the determination unit 163. That is, in the present embodiment, when the determination unit 163 determines to transport the target object 90, the operation control unit 161b performs control for transporting the target object 90. On the other hand, when the determination unit 163 determines not to transport the target object 90, the operation control unit 161b does not perform control for transporting the target object 90.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of processing regarding the transportation operation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 in the third embodiment. The flow of processing will be described below with reference to flowcharts.

In step S300, the marker position specifying unit 160 specifies the position of the marker 91 attached to the target object 90 based on the data from the sensor 140.

Next, in step S301, the reading unit 162b reads out information stored in the marker 91 indicating the performance of the autonomous mobile robot 10 required to transport the object 90. Thereby, the determination unit 163 acquires performance information regarding the performance required to transport the object 90.

Next, in step S302, the determination unit 163 compares the performance information acquired in step S301 with performance information regarding the performance that the autonomous mobile robot 10 actually has, and determines that the autonomous mobile robot 10 has the required performance. Determine whether or not. If the autonomous mobile robot 10 does not have the required performance, the determination unit 163 determines not to transport the object 90, and the process moves to step S303. On the other hand, if the autonomous mobile robot 10 has the required performance, the determination unit 163 determines to transport the target object 90, and the process moves to step S304. In this case, the processes from step S304 to step S306 are performed.

In step S303, the notification unit 164 sends a notification requesting another autonomous mobile robot to transport the object 90. Then, the process ends.

On the other hand, in step S304, the reading unit 162b reads out information indicating the relative position stored in the marker 91. Thereby, the operation control unit 161b acquires the relative position of the predetermined position of the target object 90 from the position of the marker 91.

Next, in step S305, the motion control unit 161b sets the position specified by the relative position acquired in step S304 as the support position of the object 90.

Next, in step S306, the motion control unit 161b controls the movement of the autonomous mobile robot 10 and the height of the support unit 130 so as to support the object 90 at the support position determined in step S305. The operation control unit 161b then controls the object 90 to be transported to the specified destination.

The third embodiment has been described above. In this embodiment, since information indicating the performance of the autonomous mobile robot 10 required to transport the object 90 is stored in the marker 91, it is possible to determine whether support is possible. . Therefore, supporting the object 90 by the autonomous mobile robot 10 having insufficient performance to support the object 90 can be suppressed. In particular, the notification unit 164 issues a notification requesting an autonomous mobile robot having the required performance to transport the object 90. Thereby, transportation can be realized by an appropriate autonomous mobile robot.

Note that in the present embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, the motion control unit 161b sets the position specified by the relative position as the support position of the object 90; however, as in the first embodiment, the motion control unit 161b The portion 161b may set the position of the marker 91 as the supporting position of the object 90. In that case, the reading process by the reading unit 162b of the information indicating the relative position stored in the marker 91 is omitted.

<Embodiment 4>
Next, Embodiment 4 will be described. This embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the object 90 is adjusted at the start of supporting the object 90.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the marker 91 stores information indicating the position of a predetermined portion of the object 90. The predetermined portion may be any portion of the surface of the object 90, for example, the front portion of the object 90, which is furniture. The position of this predetermined portion is a position specified in advance. Note that the position of the predetermined portion is specifically, for example, the relative position of the predetermined part from the position of the marker 91. For example, the position of the predetermined portion may be the coordinate value of the position of the predetermined part based on the position where the marker 91 is attached. The information indicating the position of the predetermined part stored by the marker 91 may be the position information of the predetermined part (the position itself), or the information on where the position information of the predetermined part is obtained (for example, a URL). Good too.

In this embodiment as well, the marker 91 may be any medium that can store information; for example, it may be a bar code, a two-dimensional code, or an RF tag. good. Further, the marker 91 may be an invisible marker so as not to impair the design of the object 90.

The autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the fourth embodiment differs from the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the second embodiment in that it includes a control device 100c instead of the control device 100a. The hardware configuration of the control device 100c is similar to that of the control device 100a, but the functional configuration is different. Note that the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the fourth embodiment is similar to the second embodiment in other configurations. Therefore, in the following, explanations that overlap with those already described will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 100c of the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, the control device 100c includes a marker position specifying section 160, a reading section 162c, and an operation control section 161c. The marker position specifying unit 160 shown in FIG. 12 is the same as the marker position specifying unit 160 described in the first embodiment. The processing of the components shown in FIG. 12 is realized, for example, by the processor 101 reading software (computer program) from the memory 102 and executing it.

The reading unit 162c performs a process of reading information stored in the marker 91. In particular, the reading unit 162c performs a process of reading out information stored in the marker 91 that indicates the position of a predetermined portion of the object 90. For example, when the marker 91 is a barcode or two-dimensional code, the reading unit 162c reads out information indicating the position of a predetermined portion by performing image recognition processing on the image data output from the sensor 140. . Further, for example, when the marker 91 is an RF tag, the reading unit 162c reads information indicating the position of a predetermined portion by performing wireless communication processing with the RF tag via the wireless communication unit 150.

The motion control unit 161c differs from the second embodiment in that it performs control to adjust the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 at the start of support.

13 and 15 are plan views showing examples of environments in which transportation is performed. In the example shown in FIGS. 13 and 15, the final transportation destination of the object 90 is at the back of the gap 93. Therefore, the autonomous mobile robot 10 enters the gap 93 while lifting the object 90 and reaches the transportation destination. At this time, since it is difficult to rotate the object 90 at the transportation destination, when inserting the object 90 into the gap 93, the direction of the object 90 must be the same as the direction required for the object 90 at the transportation destination. It is preferable that the For example, if it is desired to arrange the object 90, which is furniture, with the front side facing the exit side of the gap 93, the autonomous mobile robot 10 is required to move through the gap with the front side of the object 90 facing the exit side. . That is, it is required that the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the object 90 is appropriate. On the other hand, if the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the object 90 is not appropriate, for example, the autonomous mobile robot 10 temporarily stops lifting the object 90 during transportation, and the autonomous mobile robot 10 It is necessary to correct the orientation of the object 90, lift the object 90 again, and continue the transportation. That is, in this case, transportation is interrupted, resulting in a decrease in transportation efficiency.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the operation control unit 161c controls the angle (first At the start of support, the direction of the object 90 at the start of transportation is the same as the angle (referred to as the second angle) between the direction of the object 90 and the forward or backward direction of the autonomous mobile robot 10 at the start of transportation. The direction of the autonomous mobile robot 10 is adjusted. Note that the direction referred to here is a direction in the horizontal direction, that is, a direction on a horizontal plane. The direction of the object 90 is the direction in which a predetermined portion (for example, the front portion) of the object 90 is facing. Further, the final movement toward the transportation destination point refers to the final linear movement of the autonomous mobile robot 10 to reach the transportation destination point. More specifically, when the final movement is forward movement, the above-mentioned second angle is the angle between the direction of the object 90 at the start of transportation and the forward direction of the autonomous mobile robot 10 at the start of transportation. Further, when the final movement is backward movement, the above-mentioned second angle is the angle between the direction of the object 90 at the time of starting transportation and the backward movement direction of the autonomous mobile robot 10 at the time of starting transportation. Whether the final movement is forward or backward is determined, for example, based on route information specifying the transportation route.

The operation control unit 161c identifies the direction required for the object 90 at the transportation destination point, for example, based on placement information that specifies the orientation of the object 90 at the transportation destination point. Further, the operation control unit 161c specifies the traveling direction of the autonomous mobile robot 10 during the final progress toward the transportation destination point, based on, for example, route information specifying the transportation route. Therefore, the motion control unit 161c calculates the first angle from these directions.
Further, in this embodiment, the operation control unit 161c specifies the direction of the object 90 at the time of starting transportation based on the position of a predetermined portion of the object 90. The traveling direction (forward direction or backward direction) of the autonomous mobile robot 10 is known to the autonomous mobile robot 10. Therefore, the motion control unit 161c calculates the second angle from these directions.
Then, the motion control unit 161c adjusts the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the target object 90 at the time of starting support so that the second angle is the same as the first angle. Note that the two angles do not have to be completely the same, and may include a predetermined tolerance for considering them to be the same.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the object 90, which is adjusted at the start of transportation when transportation as shown in FIG. 13 is performed. Further, FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the object 90, which is adjusted at the start of transportation when transportation as shown in FIG. 15 is performed. Further, in FIGS. 13 and 15, an arrow 94A represents the direction required of the object 90 at the transportation destination point, and an arrow 94B represents the traveling direction of the autonomous mobile robot 10 during the final progress to the transportation destination point. Further, in FIGS. 14 and 16, an arrow 95A represents the direction of the object 90 at the time of starting transportation, and an arrow 95B represents the forward or backward direction of the autonomous mobile robot 10 at the time of starting transportation. Here, when the transportation shown in FIG. 13 is performed, the first angle θ ₁ mentioned above is 180 degrees. Further, when the transportation shown in FIG. 15 is performed, the first angle θ ₁ mentioned above is 90 degrees. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, the motion control unit 161c controls the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the object 90 at the time of starting support so that the second angle θ ₂ is the same as the first angle θ ₁ . Adjust. By doing so, it is possible to avoid adjusting the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the object 90 during transportation, and the efficiency of transportation is improved.

Further, the operation control unit 161c may perform the following direction adjustment.
FIG. 17 is a plan view showing an example of an environment in which transportation is performed. In the example shown in FIG. 17, a gap 93 exists on the transportation path of the object 90, and the width of this gap 93 is narrower than the maximum width of the object 90. Therefore, when the autonomous mobile robot 10 supporting the object 90 passes through the gap 93, it is preferable that the direction of the object 90 coincides with the direction required for the object 90 to pass through. For example, if the depth of the object 90 when viewed from the front is less than the width of the gap 93, in order to pass through the gap 93, the front of the object 90 must be perpendicular to the direction of travel. You are required to be facing the That is, it is required that the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the object 90 is appropriate. On the other hand, if the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the object 90 is not appropriate, for example, the autonomous mobile robot 10 temporarily stops lifting the object 90 during transportation, and the autonomous mobile robot 10 It is necessary to correct the orientation of the object 90, lift the object 90 again, and continue transporting the object 90. That is, in this case, transportation is interrupted, resulting in a decrease in transportation efficiency.

Therefore, the operation control unit 161c determines an angle (referred to as a third angle) between the direction required for the object 90 to pass through the gap on the transportation route and the direction of movement of the autonomous mobile robot 10 when passing through the gap. The autonomous mobile robot at the start of support is adjusted so that the direction of the object 90 at the start of transportation and the forward or backward direction of the autonomous mobile robot 10 at the start of transport are the same (referred to as the fourth angle). Adjust the orientation of 10. Note that the direction referred to here is a direction in the horizontal direction, that is, a direction on a horizontal plane. When the final movement is forward movement, the above-mentioned fourth angle is, more specifically, the angle between the direction of the object 90 at the time of starting transportation and the forward direction of the autonomous mobile robot 10 at the time of starting transportation. Further, when the final movement is backward movement, the above-mentioned fourth angle is the angle between the direction of the object 90 at the time of starting transportation and the backward movement direction of the autonomous mobile robot 10 at the time of starting transportation. Whether the final movement is forward or backward is determined, for example, based on route information specifying the transportation route.

The operation control unit 161c specifies the direction required for the object 90 to pass through the gap on the transportation route, based on, for example, map information including the dimensions of the object 90 and information on the width of the gap. The dimensions may be stored in the marker 91 or may be acquired from another device such as a server. The dimensions of the object 90 include, for example, the width and depth when viewed from the direction in which the above-mentioned predetermined portion (for example, the front portion) of the object 90 is facing. In this case, for example, if the depth of the object 90 is less than the width of the gap, the operation control unit 161c requests the object 90 to be oriented such that a predetermined portion faces in the width direction of the gap. Suppose that the direction is Further, for example, when the width of the object 90 is less than the width of the gap, the operation control unit 161c requests the object 90 to be oriented such that a predetermined portion faces the passage direction of the gap. Suppose that it is a direction. Further, the operation control unit 161c specifies the direction of movement of the autonomous mobile robot 10 when passing through the gap, based on, for example, route information specifying a transportation route. Therefore, the motion control unit 161c calculates the third angle from these directions.
Further, in this embodiment, the operation control unit 161c specifies the direction of the object 90 at the time of starting transportation based on the position of a predetermined portion of the object 90. The traveling direction (forward direction or backward direction) of the autonomous mobile robot 10 is known to the autonomous mobile robot 10. Therefore, the motion control unit 161c calculates the fourth angle from these directions.
Then, the motion control unit 161c adjusts the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the target object 90 at the time of starting support so that the fourth angle is the same as the third angle. Note that the two angles do not have to be completely the same, and may include a predetermined tolerance for considering them to be the same.

In FIG. 17, an arrow 96A represents the direction required for the object 90 to pass through the gap 93 on the transportation route, and an arrow 96B represents the direction of movement of the autonomous mobile robot 10 when passing through the gap 93. Here, when the transportation shown in FIG. 17 is performed, the operation control unit 161c controls the autonomous mobile robot 10 relative to the object 90 at the start of support so that the fourth angle is the same as the third angle _θ3 . Adjust the orientation. By doing so, it is possible to avoid adjusting the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the object 90 during transportation, and the efficiency of transportation is improved.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of processing regarding the transportation operation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 in the fourth embodiment. The flow of processing will be described below with reference to flowcharts.

In step S400, marker position specifying section 160 specifies the position of marker 91 attached to object 90 based on data from sensor 140.

Next, in step S401, the reading unit 162c reads information indicating the relative position stored in the marker 91. Thereby, the motion control unit 161c obtains the relative position of a predetermined position of the object 90 (for example, a position directly below the center of gravity) from the position of the marker 91.

Next, in step S402, the reading unit 162c reads information stored in the marker 91 indicating the position of a predetermined portion of the object 90 (for example, the front portion). Thereby, the operation control unit 161c acquires the position of the predetermined portion.

Next, in step S403, the operation control unit 161c identifies the current direction of the object 90 (that is, the direction in which the predetermined portion of the object 90 is facing) from the position of the predetermined portion acquired in step S402. do. In this manner, in the present embodiment, motion control unit 161 specifies the direction of target object 90 based on information stored in marker 91 that indicates the position of a predetermined portion. Therefore, the direction of the object 90 can be easily specified without performing processing such as image recognition processing for specifying the direction of the object 90. Note that the motion control unit 161c may identify the direction of the object 90 by analyzing the image of the object 90 through image recognition processing. In this case, the marker 91 does not need to store information indicating the position of the predetermined portion of the object 90. Therefore, reading processing of such information is also omitted.

Next, in step S404, the motion control unit 161c sets the position specified by the relative position acquired in step S401 as the support position of the object 90.

Next, in step S405, the motion control unit 161c adjusts the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the target object 90 at the time of starting support.

Next, in step S406, the motion control unit 161c controls the movement of the autonomous mobile robot 10 and the height of the support unit 130 so as to support the object 90 at the support position determined in step S404. The operation control unit 161c then controls the object 90 to be transported to the specified destination.

The fourth embodiment has been described above. In this embodiment, the position of the autonomous mobile robot 10 relative to the object 90 at the time of starting support is such that the first angle (third angle) and the second angle (fourth angle) described above are the same. The orientation is adjusted. Therefore, it is possible to avoid adjusting the orientation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 with respect to the object 90 during transportation, and the efficiency of transportation is improved.

Note that when the marker 91 is attached to the above-mentioned predetermined portion, the direction of the object 90, that is, the direction in which the predetermined portion of the object 90 is facing, can be determined by specifying the position of the marker 91. It can be specified by Therefore, in this case, the marker 91 does not need to store information indicating the position of the predetermined portion of the object 90, and the reading process of such information by the reading unit 162c is omitted.

Further, in the present embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, the motion control unit 161c sets the position specified by the relative position as the support position of the object 90, but as in the first embodiment, the motion control unit 161c The portion 161c may set the position of the marker 91 as the supporting position of the object 90. In that case, the reading process of the information indicating the relative position stored in the marker 91 by the reading unit 162c is omitted.
Moreover, the features of this embodiment may be combined with the features of Embodiment 3.

<Embodiment 5>
Next, Embodiment 5 will be described. The autonomous mobile robot 10 differs from the second embodiment in that it assists the movement of other autonomous mobile robots. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the transportation system 5 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19, the transportation system 5 includes an autonomous mobile robot 10 that transports an object 90, another autonomous mobile robot 6, and a management server 7. The autonomous mobile robot 6 is an autonomous mobile robot that performs predetermined tasks that involve movement, such as cleaning floors. The management server 7 is a server that manages the work schedule and movement range of the autonomous mobile robot 6 during work, and provides the autonomous mobile robot 10 with information necessary for processing. The management server 7 is communicably connected to the autonomous mobile robot 10 and the autonomous mobile robot 6.

The autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the fifth embodiment differs from the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the second embodiment in that it includes a control device 100d instead of the control device 100a. The hardware configuration of the control device 100d is similar to that of the control device 100d, but the functional configuration is different. Note that the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the fifth embodiment is the same as the second embodiment with respect to other configurations. Therefore, in the following, explanations that overlap with those already described will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 100d of the autonomous mobile robot 10 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 20, the control device 100d includes a marker position specifying section 160, a reading section 162, a communication processing section 165, and an operation control section 161d. The marker position specifying unit 160 shown in FIG. 20 is the same as the marker position specifying unit 160 described in the first embodiment. Further, the reading unit 162 shown in FIG. 20 is the same as the reading unit 162 described in the second embodiment. The processing of the components shown in FIG. 20 is realized, for example, by the processor 101 reading software (computer program) from the memory 102 and executing it.

The communication processing unit 165 uses the wireless communication unit 150 to perform a process of receiving from the management server 7 the start time of the work of the autonomous mobile robot 6 and the movement range during the work. Further, when the transportation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 is completed, the communication processing unit 165 notifies the management server 7 of the completion.

The operation control unit 161d differs from the second embodiment in that it performs transportation control according to the work of the autonomous mobile robot 6. That is, in the present embodiment, when another autonomous mobile robot 6 is scheduled to move, the operation control unit 161d supports the predetermined object 90 before the other autonomous mobile robot 6 starts moving. Then, the autonomous mobile robot 6 is controlled to move the object out of the movement range.

When the communication processing unit 165 receives the work start time and movement range of the autonomous mobile robot 6 during work, the operation control unit 161d transports the object 90 existing within the movement range before the start time. By doing so, the object 90 is removed from the movement range of the autonomous mobile robot 6. For example, the motion control unit 161d transports the object 90 out of the movement range. Note that the transportation of the object 90 at this time does not need to involve movement of the object 90 in the horizontal direction. For example, if the object 90 (e.g. a chair) can be connected to another object (e.g. a table) present above the object 90, i.e. if the object 90 can be suspended from this object, The object 90 may be transported by moving the object 90 in a vertical direction.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of processing regarding the transportation operation of the autonomous mobile robot 10 in the fifth embodiment. The flow of processing will be described below with reference to flowcharts.

In step S500, the communication processing unit 165 receives the start time of the work of the autonomous mobile robot 6 and the movement range during the work. Thereby, the operation control unit 161d acquires the start time of the work of the autonomous mobile robot 6 and the movement range during the work. Then, the operation control unit 161d starts control for transportation so that the object 90 present in the movement range is transported before this start time. That is, the process starting from step S501 is started.

In step S501, the marker position specifying unit 160 specifies the position of the marker 91 attached to the target object 90 based on data from the sensor 140.

Next, in step S502, the reading unit 162 reads out information indicating the relative position stored in the marker 91. Thereby, the operation control unit 161d acquires the relative position of the predetermined position of the target object 90 from the position of the marker 91.

Next, in step S503, the motion control unit 161d sets the position specified by the relative position acquired in step S502 as the support position of the target object 90.

Next, in step S504, the motion control unit 161d controls the movement of the autonomous mobile robot 10 and the height of the support unit 130 so as to support the object 90 at the support position determined in step S503. Then, the operation control unit 161d controls the object 90 to be transported outside the movement range of the autonomous mobile robot 6.

In step S505, when the transportation of all objects 90 within the movement range of the autonomous mobile robot 6 is completed, the communication processing unit 165 notifies the management server 7 of the completion of transportation.

The fifth embodiment has been described above. In this embodiment, the target object 90 is moved out of the movement range before the other autonomous mobile robots 6 start moving. Therefore, it is possible to prevent other autonomous mobile robots 6 from being inhibited from performing their work due to the presence of the object 90.

Note that in this embodiment, the communication processing unit 165 communicates with the management server 7, but it may communicate with other autonomous mobile robots 6. That is, the communication processing unit 165 may receive the work start time and movement range from another autonomous mobile robot 6. The communication processing unit 165 may then notify the other autonomous mobile robots 6 of the completion of transportation. In this case, the other autonomous mobile robots 6 may start their work upon receiving this notification.

Further, in the present embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, the motion control unit 161d sets the position specified by the relative position as the support position of the object 90, but as in the first embodiment, the motion control unit 161d The portion 161d may set the position of the marker 91 as the supporting position of the object 90. In that case, the reading process of the information indicating the relative position stored in the marker 91 by the reading unit 162d is omitted.
Moreover, the features of this embodiment may be combined with the features of Embodiment 3 or the features of Embodiment 4.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit. For example, in each of the embodiments described above, instead of the marker 91, in addition to the function of storing arbitrary information, the function of communicating with other devices such as the autonomous mobile robot 10 (for example, RFID, Wi-Fi (registered trademark)) , Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.) may be used. That is, the autonomous mobile robot 10 identifies the position of an arbitrary reference object (for example, a marker or an IoT device) attached to the object 90, and determines the position of the object based on the specified position of the reference object. The support position may also be determined. Note that in this case, the marker position specifying section may be referred to as a reference object position specifying section.

Further, this reference object may store any information used to control the movement operation or support operation of the autonomous mobile robot 10. Then, the reading unit 162, 162b, 162c, or 162d may read this information, and the motion control unit 161, 161a, 161b, 161c, or 161d uses this information to perform the movement operation of the autonomous mobile robot 10. Alternatively, the support operation may be controlled. Note that this information may also be referred to as operation-related information. The motion-related information may be, for example, the height of the object 90 when supporting and moving the object 90, or the weight or size of the object 90. By doing so, the autonomous mobile robot 10 can easily realize a motion based on the motion-related information.

Further, the support portion 130 may include an engagement portion such as a protrusion or a groove that engages with the object 90. By doing so, the stability of support can be improved. Furthermore, the object 90 may be a part that constitutes one piece of furniture when combined with the support section 130. In this way, the autonomous mobile robot can also be used as furniture. For example, the object 90 may be a table top. In this case, by combining with the support portion 130, the top plate is held at a predetermined height, thereby forming a table.

Furthermore, the support section 130 may not only be mechanically connected to the target object 90 but also electrically connected to the target object 90 for communication or power exchange with the target object 90 . By doing so, various functions using electrical connections can be realized.

5 Transport system 6 Autonomous mobile robot 7 Management server 10 Autonomous mobile robot 90 Target object 91 Markers 100, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d Control device 101 Processor 102 Memory 103 Interface 110 Moving unit 111 Robot body 112 Drive wheels 113 Driven wheels 114 Motor 120 Expandable section 121 Drive device 130 Support section 140 Sensor 150 Wireless communication section 160 Marker position specifying section 161, 161a, 161b, 161c, 161d Operation control section 162, 162b, 162c, 162d Reading section 163 Judgment section 164 Notification section 165 Communication processing Department

Claims (15)

A transportation system that supports and transports objects using an autonomous mobile robot,
The autonomous mobile robot
a reference object position specifying unit that identifies the position of a reference object that is attached to a target object and stores information indicating the performance of an autonomous mobile robot required to transport the target object ;
a reading unit that reads information indicating the performance stored in the reference object;
a determination unit that determines whether or not to transport the object based on information indicating the performance;
and an operation control unit that determines a support position of the object based on the specified position of the reference object. The reference object is attached in advance to a predetermined position on the target object,
The predetermined position is a position to be supported that is specified in advance,
The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the operation control unit sets the position of the reference object as a support position of the target object. The reference object stores information indicating a relative position of a predetermined position of the object from the position of the reference object,
The predetermined position is a position to be supported that is specified in advance,
The reading unit further reads information indicating the relative position stored in the reference object,
The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the operation control unit specifies the predetermined position of the target object based on the information indicating the relative position, and sets the predetermined position as a support position of the target object. The reference object stores motion-related information that is information used to control the movement motion or support motion of the autonomous mobile robot,
The reading unit further reads the operation-related information stored in the reference object,
The transportation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the motion control unit controls a movement motion or a support motion of the autonomous mobile robot using the motion-related information. The reference object stores a supporting force necessary for supporting the object or a size of the autonomous mobile robot as information indicating the performance.
The conveyance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The transportation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a notification unit that sends a notification requesting an autonomous mobile robot having performance specified from the information indicating the performance to transport the object. The operation control unit further determines the angle between the direction required for the object at the transportation destination point and the traveling direction of the autonomous mobile robot at the time of final progress to the transportation destination point, and the angle between the direction required for the object at the transportation destination point and the object at the time of starting transportation. The direction of the autonomous mobile robot at the time of starting support is adjusted so that the direction of the autonomous mobile robot is the same as the forward or backward direction of the autonomous mobile robot at the time of starting transportation. Conveyance system as described. The operation control unit further determines the angle between the direction required for the object to pass through the gap on the transportation route and the traveling direction of the autonomous mobile robot when passing through the gap, and the angle between the direction required for the object to pass through the gap on the transportation route, and 8. The direction of the autonomous mobile robot at the time of starting support is adjusted so that the direction of the object and the forward or backward direction of the autonomous mobile robot at the time of the start of transportation are the same. Conveyance system as described in Section. The reference object stores information indicating the position of a predetermined part of the object,
The reading unit further reads information indicating the position of the predetermined portion stored in the reference object,
The conveyance system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the operation control unit specifies the direction of the object based on information indicating the position of the predetermined portion. When the other autonomous mobile robot is scheduled to move, the operation control unit supports a predetermined object and controls the movement range of the other autonomous mobile robot before the other autonomous mobile robot starts moving. The conveyance system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the conveyance system is controlled to remove the object from the conveyance system. The autonomous mobile robot has a support portion including an engagement portion that engages with a target object,
The conveyance system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the operation control unit controls the support unit to support the object. The transportation system according to claim 11, wherein the object is a part that constitutes one piece of furniture when combined with the support section. The conveyance system according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the support section is electrically connected to the target object. A transportation method in which an object is supported and transported by an autonomous mobile robot,
The autonomous mobile robot
identifying the position of a reference object attached to the object and storing information indicating the performance of the autonomous mobile robot required to transport the object ;
reading information indicating the performance stored in the reference object;
Determining whether or not to transport the object based on information indicating the performance,
A transportation method in which a supporting position of the object is determined based on the specified position of the reference object. autonomous mobile robot computer,
a reference object positioning step of identifying the position of a reference object attached to the object and storing information indicating the performance of the autonomous mobile robot required to transport the object ;
a reading step of reading information indicating the performance stored in the reference object;
a determination step of determining whether or not to transport the object based on information indicating the performance;
A program that executes an operation control step of determining a support position of the object based on the specified position of the reference object.

Images